Many dwellings (such as cottages, lodges, trailers, mobile homes, RV's boats, and yachts) are used on a seasonal basis. Such dwellings and structures are typically used during months of the year in which the temperature is moderate. In climates that experience winter temperatures below freezing, such dwellings need to be prepared for winter prior to the occurrence of freezing temperatures.
Such dwellings and vehicles are normally connected to a water system. For instance, a cottage may have a water inlet pipe located within a nearby lake or may be connected to a well system for supply of water to the cottage. Trailers may obtain water from similar sources, or may obtain water from a centrally located supply within a trailer park or campground in which the trailer is located. The water is used within the dwelling in toilets, for washing of dishes, showers or for other purposes. This may include uses outside the dwelling, for instance watering of a garden, washing of objects or recreation. Thus, a typical dwelling may have a water pump supplying a water tank from which water is fed, for instance, to one or more of taps within the dwelling, as well as to a toilet, a shower and a hot water tank.
In the winter, water within piping systems, toilets and other related systems, e.g. any septic bed pumping tanks, will freeze. Thus, at the end of the seasonal occupation of the seasonal dwelling, it is necessary to remove water from all piping systems, including tanks, within the dwelling to prevent freezing of the water within the system. If water is allowed to remain within the piping systems, then upon freezing the piping systems will often crack, break or be otherwise damaged and require significant repair in the following spring.
Thus, persons who own cottages, trailers or other seasonal dwellings have a need to winterize the dwelling at the end of the season. This usually entails draining of pipes to the extent that this is possible, pouring winterizing solutions e.g. antifreeze, down toilets, showers, sinks and the like, bailing out of toilets and other vessels of that kind and feeding winterizing solutions into pumps. The latter is often done using funnels and pouring the liquid into a suitable inlet within the pump.
Alternatively, the water pipe is disconnected from the source of water. Air is blown down the water line by one person, which normally requires the assistance of a second person to open each and every valve, making sure no water is retained in the piping system. Then a garden hose is filled with antifreeze, using a funnel, with the second person opening the valves again. This procedure must be repeated several times to effect winterizing. The winterizing process is tedious, slow and requires more than one person.
Winterizing is often conducted under adverse conditions in the fall, e.g. in near-freezing temperatures and often cold, wet and windy weather. It is an onerous task that must be completed with care to prevent damage to the piping systems and other water-containing vessels in or associated with the seasonal dwelling.
In some instances, particularly in trailer parks or campgrounds, it is possible to arrange for persons to winterize a trailer, for a fee. While the fee may not be particularly excessive in any one year, over a period of years the accumulated costs can be substantial. Thus, there has been a need by owners of cottages, trailers or other seasonal dwellings for a means of winterizing the water piping systems within the dwelling in a quick and efficient manner.